When I was going to Bible school, I had the habit of calling my family every day during lunch. At one point my schedule had been robbing me of valuable time with them. As I was chatting, with each of them on the phone one day, Nicole, who was only 3 at the time, suddenly asked, "Can you come home now, Daddy?"

I responded as kindly as I could, "I want to, Sweetie, but I really have to work this afternoon"

"Daddy," she said, "when you come home can we play together?"

My guilt was growing now. "Sweetie, I’m sorry, but I have to work tonight, too. I’ll see you tomorrow, though." Silence was the only answer.

Late that night when I came home, everyone was in bed. As I sat down in the recliner to unwind, I heard Nicole’s door open. Without saying a word, she walked down the hall and stood silently next to my chair. I could barely see her face in the darkness. I reached over and picked her up, gave her a tight hug and carried her back to bed. Laying her gently on her pillow, I heard her say in a whisper, "I miss you, Daddy."

I touched her ear with my lips and could barely whisper back, "Oh, I miss you, too, Sweetie, very much." Sometimes the child leads the father.

It was a great revelation to me when I discovered that I was determining how my children would remember their father. God had shown me through the gentle reminder of my daughter’s sad heart that there is a place in her heart that only I can fill.

May we who are parents understand the awesome privilege we have to be the ones who get to love on our children. What else could we do that would be more important than affecting the heart of those we love?